Local Blog
Your Voice Your Choice Kincardine & Mearns Now Open.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Participatory Budgeting initiative is now open and inviting applications from community groups and organisations in the Coastal Strip villages from Inverbervie to St Cyrus.
Please visit the website https://aberdeenshire.participare.io/#/ or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Your-Voice-Your-Choice-Kincardine-Mearns-1682423285392707/?ref=page_internal for more details.
Want to know more, contact Lesley Robertson on 01569 768327, or email lesley.robertson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Craig Brown at The Grassic Gibbon Centre
Thursday the 25th of May sees the second of an occasional series of events entitled Football in Question at The Grassic Gibbon Centre in Arbuthnott. Former Scotland manager Craig Brown will be in conversation with Andy Hall and will participate in an audience question and answer session.
Andy, who is also a director of the Centre, explained, “Last year, we had an excellent evening with Dons and Scotland legend Willie Miller. The support we received from Mearns football fans was terrific. We are fortunate to have another similar night in prospect on May 25th with Craig Brown.”
“We are delighted to have Craig for the event. He has a fund of stories and insights from throughout his varied career in football as a player, a manager and now as a director of Aberdeen Football Club.”
In anticipation of the event, Craig described his thoughts on coming to Arbuthnott –
“I am delighted to be joining Andy Hall, a man for whom I have the greatest respect, in conversation at the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Centre on the 25th May. I’m sure it will be an enjoyable and interesting experience for me and, hopefully, for those in attendance.”
Alongside the licensed event, there will be a two-course supper, a special Scotland football raffle, a fun quiz put together by Brian Duncan and a special auction of a signed and framed photographic print of Tom Finney’s famous “Splash”, real collector’s item. The late Sir Tom was widely recognised as England’s greatest player who remained loyal to his club Preston North End, one of Craig’s former managerial posts.
The time of the event is 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets can be obtained priced at £20 directly from the Grassic Gibbon Centre on 01561 361668 or by email on friendsofggc@grassicgibbon.com.
Growing A Greener Britain: Small Grants Programme
This fund wants to help communities to grow a greener Britain by supporting them to transform green spaces. We know that there are many people across the UK who have fantastic, creative and innovative ideas that could help to improve their local spaces. This small grant fund is designed to help turn these ideas into reality! Any constituted community group is invited to apply. Please remember that due to limited funding projects of a value of up to £1,000 can only be supported and that not every project can be rewarded. For more information, visit: https://www.growingagreenerbritain.org/small-grant-programme/
New Signposting Website launched
Aberdeenshire Signposting Project is a free, confidential and non-judgemental service working throughout Aberdeenshire to help people find solutions to issues affecting mood and wellbeing. The Signposting Project helps people connect to services, organisations and community groups who can help address those issues. They help people overcome the barriers they face in accessing the help they need. Their new website is an excellent source of information about their services and contains everything you need to engage with the project – visit the new site at: http://www.signpostingproject.org.uk.
Survey for Sports Clubs and Groups Now Live
Aberdeenshire Council is now engaging with sports clubs across Aberdeenshire to find out about the kind of support they want and to help them develop and be sustainable in the future. We are requesting one response per club only please. An online survey is now live and available through the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/sportsclubs2017 The survey will be available for completion until midnight on Monday 1st May 2017. If you require any further information, please contact:
SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Network) north of Scotland Resilient Communities Fund
The £285,000 fund is available for non-profit making organisations, community groups and charities working in the SSEN distribution area. Applications up to £20,000 will be accepted until 15 June 2017.
The Resilient Communities Fund supports local projects that:
- Protect the welfare of vulnerable community members through enhancing their resilience and improving community participation and effectiveness.
- Enhance community facilities, services and communication specifically to support the local response in the event of a significant emergency event.
For more information: www.ssen.co.uk
The ADP South community forum is holding its AGM on Tuesday 2nd May 2017 from 1pm – 4pm at West Church in Banchory, AB31 5TB.
Please join us for a sandwich lunch prior to the meeting from 12.30 onwards. 
It would be great to see as many of you as possible as we look to appoint new committee members for the Aberdeenshire ADP South Community Forum.
Sadly, our chair Jean Henretty and our secretary Kirsty Greenhowe have both announced that their period of commitment to the South Forum committee has come to an end and that they will stand down at this meeting. I am sure you will all join me in thanking them for all their work and input over the past year and wishing them well for any new ventures.
This means the South forum committee will as of May have 2 vacancies, the chair position and the position of secretary. We encourage any interested forum members, and in particular community members, to consider this great opportunity to take up a role within the forum committee and to be actively involved in shaping the work of the forum.
If you would like to stand for our committee, then please contact kirsty.forrester@aberdeenshire.gov.uk no later than Friday 21st April 2017.
If you require more information about these positions before 18th April 2017 then please get in touch with Tanja.Mehrer@aberdeenshire.gov.uk .
Also, if you or anyone you know requires transport to the meeting please get in touch and we will see what we can do!
Children’s Summer Playschemes
Each year the trustees of the Woodward Charitable Trust set aside funds for summer playschemes for children between the ages of 5-16 years. Trustees only fund programmes that run for a minimum of 2 weeks or 10 days across the summer holidays. The deadline for receipt of the Summer Play Scheme applications is 7 April 2017. http://woodwardcharitabletrust.org.uk/childrens-summer-playschemes/
Tesco Bags of Help
Think you already know what Tesco Bags of Help funds? Read on as we’ve made some immediate improvements:
- Apply anytime for projects that bring benefits to the community
- Projects can be outdoor or indoor improvements, activities and equipment purchases
- Apply for capital and revenue funding between £1000 and £4000
- Simpler online application process
- Community groups, schools, charities, local authorities and not for profits can all apply
- You can apply again for a different project at any time
To ensure that the programme is really local the number of projects funded every two months has been increased. We still fund projects that improve or encourage the use of outdoor spaces such as allotments and community gardens. But now grants can also fund buying items such as sports kits, camping equipment, spades, litter pickers or specialised medical equipment and improvements to community buildings.
Following a public vote in Tesco stores every two months, three projects in each of the local Tesco store areas will receive a grant, with first place receiving up to £4000, second place up to £2000 and third place £1000. For information on how to apply please click http://bit.ly/bagsofhelp4
Champions for the Year of Young People 2018
Young Scot is looking for committed and passionate young people (aged 8-26) from all over Scotland to become part of Communic18 – our group for Co-design Champions for the Year of Young People 2018.
The champions will be at the heart of planning and delivering key aspects of the Year of Young People 2018, as well as supporting Children in Scotland, Scottish Youth Parliament and Young Scot to ensure the year is co-designed with young people. They will be involved in main decisions about the year, including taking part in funding panels, supporting local Ambassadors in each local authority area, and supervising one of six of the year’s themes (Participation, Health & Wellbeing, Education, Culture, Equality & Discrimination, Enterprise & Regeneration).
With their leadership the Year of Young People 2018 will provide a platform for young people to have their views heard and acted upon!
Interested young people can apply to join Communic18 here: www.young.scot/communic18. If you have any questions or require more information about Communic18, please email 2018yoyp@young.scot
SCOTTISH FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE LOCAL PLAN ENGAGEMENT
The publication of a new Strategic Plan for 2016-19 instigates the requirement to carry out a mandatory review of all our Local Fire and Rescue Plans. To inform this review and to contribute to the development of new Local Fire and Rescue Plans we wish to gather views on local service provision.
For ease, a response to these questions can be made online on our consultation hub Citizen Space. Click the following link to access the Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review survey
https://firescotland.citizenspace.com/planning-and-performance/local-plan-review/
Experiences – good or bad
Aberdeenshire Council is carrying out a review of how it communicates. We would love to hear how you feel about this. Interested in giving us your views? Click on the link;
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Commengagestrat
We’d love to hear from you!
K&M Communities 